Officer allegedly hid camera at New Zealand Embassy in US
May 4, 2018
A high-ranking New Zealand military officer has been accused of hiding a camera in a bathroom at the nation's embassy in Washington in a case that has raised unusual jurisdictional questions
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A high-ranking New Zealand military officer has been accused of hiding a camera in a bathroom at the nation's embassy in Washington in a case that has raised unusual jurisdictional questions.
Alfred Keating was a navy commodore and the embassy's senior defense attache at the time of the incident last July. He would have been eligible to claim diplomatic immunity from being prosecuted by U.S. authorities. But the case was handled by New Zealand police, who traveled to Washington to investigate.
A New Zealand judge on Friday dismissed an appeal by Keating to have his name and other personal details suppressed.
Keating, who has returned to New Zealand, has been charged with attempting to make an intimate visual recording. If convicted, he faces a maximum 18 months in prison.
Court documents say a camera was found in a unisex bathroom that was available for use by the 60 or so people who worked at the embassy.
"It had been purposely mounted inside a heating duct unit in the bathroom, at a height and direction that captured recordings from people who arrived and used the toilet," the documents say.
The camera was discovered after it fell on the floor. It had likely been in place for many months, according to the documents. It had been activated the morning it was found and had 19 images of people from that day, the documents say.
Prosecutors say they didn't find any indecent images when they searched Keating's computer but they did find that he had installed the driver software for the camera.
Bill Hodge, a teaching fellow at the University of Auckland's Law School, said the case had parallels with that of Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder who has been cooped up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012, where he remains beyond the reach of British authorities.
Hodge said that although Keating might be beyond the reach of American law, he could still be charged under New Zealand law. He said there were precedents, including cases for crimes at sea that took place outside New Zealand's territorial waters.
A pre-trial hearing has been scheduled for July.
More News
The superchip genius or the big name wildcard? Eight contenders to replace Huang as Nvidia’s CEO
Nvidia chief Jensen Huang has resigned from the chipmaker he co-founded after reports of extramarital affairs made the spotlight.
ASX set for flat start, Nvidia scandal weighs on Wall Street
US stocks closed lower as a pullback in big AI-focused companies weighed on the market, capping a turbulent week on Wall Street.
The real pain from rising interest rates is yet to come
The number of borrowers who are behind on their mortgage payments is rising, and it’s likely to climb further as rate hikes bite.
Coalition threat to sink gas reform triggers rare industry backlash
A broad alliance of business chiefs and unions has mounted a last-minute push for the Coalition to pass Labor’s domestic gas-reservation laws.
A new fast-food giant is coming to Australia. Its unusual ingredients aren’t the only talking point
A new chain will enter Australia’s crowded fast-food chicken market after wowing Anthony Albanese at one of its Manila stores. We put some of its dishes to the test.
Wall Street’s wild Nvidia ride delivers big paydays and even bigger bruises
Investors are doubling down on speculative wagers that have delivered both spectacular gains and crushing losses this year.
Inside Boeing’s mission to rebuild trust in the 737 after years of turbulence
In the airline industry, attention to detail is everything. Boeing’s recovery is tied to reforms on its manufacturing floor in Washington.
Commercial childcare is hitting a brick wall. Who will pick up the pieces?
Australia’s largest childcare provider has signalled its intent to surrender to a lowball private equity bid as other for-profit providers collapse in record numbers.
‘I don’t care’: Inside Jensen Huang’s last hours as Nvidia CEO
At the end, Jensen Huang looked broken and shattered, his legendary energy depleted.
I worked part-time at David Jones. I know exactly why the business failed
Lift operators, bra fitters and lying sales assistants – I mourn you all.
How Elon Musk drove the Cybertruck and Tesla’s ambitions off a cliff
Elon Musk’s passion project crashed and burned. Its demise carries a lot of weight,
M.J. Bale axed its retail boss while she was on maternity leave. Now she’s fighting back
The Australian menswear retailer made its high-flying retail boss redundant days before her scheduled return from parental leave.